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Office-based randomized controlled trial to reduce screen time in preschool children
Catherine S Birken1, Jonathon Maguire, Magda Mekky
1Division of Paediatric Medicine, Department of Paediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. catherine.birken@sickkids.ca
Insights
A primary care intervention for preschoolers did not reduce screen time or BMI. However, it successfully decreased the number of meals eaten in front of the television, suggesting targeted strategies may be needed.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Health
- Behavioral Science
- Public Health
Background:
- Excessive screen time in early childhood is a growing concern.
- Childhood obesity and sedentary behaviors are significant public health issues.
- Primary care settings offer opportunities for early intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of a behavioral counseling intervention in reducing screen time.
- To assess the intervention's impact on meals consumed in front of the television.
- To determine the intervention's effect on Body Mass Index (BMI) in preschool-aged children.
Main Methods:
- A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 3-year-old children and their parents.
- Participants were assigned to an intervention group receiving counseling on reducing screen time or a control group.
- Outcomes, including screen time, meals in front of the television, and BMI, were assessed at 1 year.
Main Results:
- No significant differences were observed in mean screen time between the intervention and control groups.
- A statistically significant reduction was found in the number of weekday meals eaten in front of the television in the intervention group (P = .03).
- The intervention did not lead to significant differences in BMI or the number of televisions in the child's bedroom.
Conclusions:
- A short behavioral intervention in primary care was ineffective in reducing overall screen time or BMI in preschoolers.
- The intervention showed effectiveness in reducing the frequency of meals consumed in front of the television.
- Findings suggest that interventions solely focused on screen time reduction may require more intensive or targeted strategies for this age group.
Objective:
To determine if an intervention for preschool-aged children in primary care is effective in reducing screen time, meals in front of the television, and BMI.
Methods:
A randomized controlled trial was conducted at a primary care pediatric group practice in Toronto, Canada. Three-year-old children and their parents were randomly assigned to receive a short behavioral counseling intervention on strategies to decrease screen time. The primary outcome 1 year later was parent reported screen time. Secondary outcomes included television in the child's bedroom, number of meals in front of the television, and BMI.
Results:
In the intention-to-treat analysis at 1 year, there were no significant differences in mean total weekday minutes of screen time (60, interquartile range [IQR]: 35-120 vs 65, IQR: 35-120; P = .68) or mean total weekend day minutes of screen time (80, IQR: 45-130 vs 90, IQR: 60-120; P = .33) between the intervention and control group. Adjusting for baseline BMI, there was a reduction in the number of weekday meals in front of the television (1.6 ± 1.0 vs 1.9 ± 1.2; P = .03) but no differences in BMI or number of televisions in the bedroom.
Conclusions:
This pragmatic trial was not effective in reducing screen time or BMI but was effective in reducing meals in front of the screen. Short interventions focused solely on reducing screen time implemented in the primary care practice setting may not be effective in this age group.
